You are a trainee solicitor in the firm’s corporate team. You currently have a dedicated supervisor with whom you share an office, but other lawyers in the team also often delegate work to trainees. 

Today is Monday. Your supervisor has asked you to draft a lengthy research note, which needs to be sent to a client by close of business on Thursday. The partner who sits in the office next door has also just emailed you asking you to review 30 commercial contracts as part of an ongoing due diligence exercise. She wants your feedback by Friday afternoon at the latest. Moreover, the newly qualified lawyer that also sits in your office has asked you to draft 15 stock transfer forms “at some point this week”.

You believe you can just about get through all these tasks by the relevant deadlines, but you will be under some pressure. However, a senior associate from across the hall then asks if you can project manage the signing process for dozens of documents in connection with a deal that is scheduled to close on Wednesday evening. He also mentions that there might be a few additional urgent tasks that need to be completed before the Wednesday closing. In light of this additional task, you feel that you’re now at risk of missing one or more of the deadlines. 

In light of the above can you please explain:

• How you would handle this situation and why you would take this approach.
• Which personal attributes you would draw upon when doing so.
• What (if anything) would energise you about the scenario.

(600 words)